Mass of the Masked
by Lady Ezri
Summary: The mask of Zero is finally laid to rest. Post Series


Something I thought of after watching the final episode. Written and edited mostly while I sat in poetics class.

Zero held the sword in his hands, studying it though he had looked at it so often in the past

Zero held the sword in his hands, in study, though he had looked at it so often in life. It somehow felt heavier than usual, and the act of holding the weapon made tears well up in his eyes.

Zero's mask was beginning to fall away. Such relics as the sword he held were forgotten things, not needed in a world of peace. Even he has a solider was now a relic to a forgotten time.

His Requiem was reality. As such, it was time for his to come to reality as well.

he had grown so tired of this life, he wondered if that was how He had felt as He allowed this sword to pass through His body. While he had accepted this fate, and wore this mask for so many years, he was still so very tired. The Geass, He had cast upon him, never let him do more than think of the end of his life.

he had never used the sword again after he killed Him. Not once drawn even to protect Nunnally, in the first years of shaky peace. There had been several groups weary of her leadership. Although she was to be executed on that day; she still remained the demon's sister. For any other blood to come upon it never would have been right to him, still it always weighted against his hip.

Slowly he laid down the sword upon the altar and removed his mask, setting it down upon the sword.

Suzaku opened his eyes slowly to look into the stain glass window above him. His eyes strained against the light, so unaccustomed to life spending so much time shielded behind a mask. His skin had long lost its tan, always being covered, his face marked with wrinkles of stress and age. It was well known that Zero was no longer a young man, yet, somehow Sazaku unmasked felt older without the guise of Zero to stand behind.

"Finally Lelouch," he spoke as the mask was laid rest. "Zero's Requiem is complete. Now Zero can finally be at rest."

"Who would have thought that you were really the one behind the mask?" His head quickly lifted at the sound of the woman's voice. There wasn't any malice in it, just genuine surprise.

Slowly Suzaku turned, "Kallen," he stated her name.

"I thought that I had killed you. Who could have guessed your face of all faces could have been behind that mask." She spoke softly as Suzaku slowly made his way down from the church altar towards her.

"You did kill Kururugi Suzaku on that day." He responded as he continued his way down the aisle moving closer to her.

"And now you have laid Zero to rest as well," this third voice surprised Kallen as she turned and saw C.C. standing at the door of the church, still the young woman she was all those years ago. Kallen wondered if she should be surprised at this, but this was the woman who gave Lelouch his power.

Suzaku slowly nodded his head.

"If I was to continue as Zero and die with the mask on, they would inevitably take it off and discover who the second Zero was. It is better for Zero to disappear from the world now that his work is done, so his identity never known." He stopped next to Kallen and turned to her, "It is what He wanted."

"Lelouch…" she whispered his name.

"You understand what he was trying to do." C.C. spoke, remaining at her spot at the open door.

Kallen looked between the two, "He wanted to be the personification of everyone's hatred. By killing that hatred, he took away the world's hatred."

"That was Zero's Requiem. That was Lelouch's geass." Suzaku stated and began to move forward once more. Before he was almost out of reach, she grabbed his hand and held it tight. Suzaku stopped and held it back, taking in the warmth of her hand.

"It is all of our Geass." She responded, allowing his hand to slip from hers. "Rest in peace."

"Thank you."

Suzaku stood up as much as his old body would allow and held his head high as he walked away. At the doors C.C. took his arm, giving the impression of a granddaughter helping her grandfather along. She also gave a small nod and even a weak smile before the two of them slowly faded away.

Slowly she walked up to the altar and touched the mask as if it may break, a tear falling down her face.

"Rest in peace, Lelouch," she whispered, as she too ready to fade into history…

Final Notes: It made the most sense to me that Suzaku wouldn't die as Zero, but would eventually just disappear at one point. Having his idenity known would shake a lot of the fresh peace up. If anyone knew the truth, I think Nunnally knew at some point Suzaku was Zero.That said, orginally it was C.C. and Suzaku talking but really, this discussion made more sense to be between him and Kallen. Also, she too wore a mask for a long time before she joined the Black Knights and dropped school. Also I think at the end, she knew he was Zero as well. Her, "Who would have guessed" remark was something more for the general public, and all those who thought he was dead, not really her voice.

I hope you enjoyed!


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